MOF-based porous material for efficient formaldehyde removal in air purification

Overview

SquairTech has developed a Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) designed to capture formaldehyde, a common indoor air pollutant that is poorly addressed by many existing purification technologies. The MOF combines very high storage capacity with strong, selective interactions that prevent the adsorbed gas from being released back into the environment, even at elevated temperatures. It also tolerates the presence of other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) without losing performance. The material is fully regenerable, supporting a multi-year operational lifetime and reducing waste compared to single-use adsorbents. The solution targets residential, commercial, and industrial air purification markets, with particular relevance for buildings and vehicle cabins where formaldehyde concentrations are a health concern.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• High formaldehyde storage capacity under both pure formaldehyde and mixed-VOC conditions, exceeding competing materials tested
• Leak-free capture from 25 °C to 100 °C, preventing secondary pollution from gas release
• VOC selectivity that maintains performance even when competing gases are present
• Reversible adsorption enabling simple regeneration and reuse over multiple years
• Filtration performance validated in an environmental chamber, outperforming some top-of-the-range purification materials in filtration rate
• Form factor flexibility demonstrated in lab-scale tests and small honeycomb filters filled with MOF spheres, with potential for alternative shapes such as pleated filters

How it works:

The MOF's porous structure is tuned to create specific chemical interactions with formaldehyde molecules. These interactions are strong enough to retain the gas irreversibly under normal operating conditions but can be reversed during a regeneration cycle, allowing the material to be reused.

Technology readiness level

The technology has been validated at the lab scale through measurements of maximal storage capacity, leak-free storage capacity across a temperature range of 25 °C to 100 °C, regeneration behavior, and filtration efficiency in an environmental chamber. A small honeycomb filter filled with MOF spheres has also been tested successfully. The next stage involves scale-1 filter prototyping in realistic shapes (such as pleated filters) and field validation in real-world environments including buildings, vehicles, and HVAC systems. SquairTech is actively seeking industrial partners to co-develop filter design and manufacturing and to provide realistic test conditions for full-scale validation.